A Gallery with Artists that Pop!
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stablished in 2007, locally owned Pop Gallery continues to raise the bar, drawing established and emerging Contemporary and New Brow artists to Santa Fe from around the world. Owners Michael and Sharla McDowell have a specific vision rooted in providing art lovers with a thoughtprovoking alternative. Rising from the underground world of tattooing and graffiti, comics, cartoons, pop art, illustration and surrealist artists, the art showcased feeds off the blend of influences and energies well cemented in today’s culture. In essence, Pop Gallery continues to represent a celebration of mediums and ideas, the dynamic union between independence and spirit, the emergence of sub-culture on a contemporary platform. Collectors have come to expect compelling and provocative exhibitions from POP Gallery, and the 2015 calendar exudes colorful narratives.
POP Gallery owners Michael and Sharla Throckmorton-McDowell with Rocketheads Studio artists Jeff Brock and Serge Juarez
Opening in July, POP Gallery features internationally acclaimed artist Daniel Martin Diaz during Contemporary Spanish Market. An accomplished musician, artist and writer, Diaz’s current body of work, Diagrams of the Soul, is inspired by anatomy, computer science, math, cosmology, biology, quantum science, consciousness, philosophy and time travel. “My goal is to capture concepts/ideas through simple diagrams and convey a world of conversation for the viewer. What is compelling to me is the magic and mystery in science. The laws of physics are the miracles; quantum physics is the new witchcraft and modern chemistry is the new alchemy,” says Diaz.
Much of his work is overtly symbolic and mythological. When asked about his thematic veins, Diaz explains, “I’m searching for if there’s some sort of intelligence or God or whatever you want to call it that’s underneath everything. When you pull away all the layers, is there something moving us? Why are we here and how did we get here? Trying to understand that mystery keeps me interested. I was raised Catholic, and in the Hispanic community it’s especially embedded. A lot of times I really questioned it and then came back to it, a back and forth battle with my background. I’m still searching. The passion and suffering impacts me; it all comes out through my art.”
On the heels of his latest book, Soul of Science, which garnered international attention, Diaz continues to create finely detailed works in graphite on vintage paper as well as works in oil using renaissance techniques such as egg tempera. On his inspirations, Diaz comments, “I continue to be amazed and inspired by many artists both past and present who have been successful in capturing the complexities of the human spirit. We run from those things we cannot explain. These are the things we must attempt to explain through art — all the beauty and tragedy that is life. The world between imagination and completion is an infinite one. It is a solitary journey, yet the many paths are
full of wanderers who are also searching and eager to share their findings.” The artwork itself boasts an esoteric edge worthy of a trip to Santa Fe and can be previewed online at PopSantaFe.com. The exhibition opens for First Friday art walk on July 3 followed with an artist reception Friday, July 24 at 6 p.m.
POP Gallery 125 Lincoln Ave, Suite 111 505.820.0788 www.PopSantaFe.com
TOP LEFT Eternal Universe, BOTTOM LEFT Collective Consciousness, TOP RIGHT What We See, BOTTOM RIGHT Daniel Martin Diaz